Inmates at the Tarrant County Jail will now receive all mail digitally, with the exception of legal documents.
The Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office announced Friday that they have contracted with Smart Communications to provide MailGuard electronic mail services to the jail.
“The MailGuard system is a quick and efficient way for inmates to receive photos and letters electronically and will streamline operations within the jail,” Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn said. “By making this switch, we’re also limiting the amount of items coming into the jail which adds to the safety of our inmates and staff."
Waybourn said that all regular inmate mail, including letters, postcards, greeting cards, and photos, will be scanned into a computer system, which the inmates can access through smart tablets.
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The change is effective immediately, the sheriff's office said, adding that all inmate postal mail must be sent to the following address:
Smart Communications / Tarrant Co Jail
(example inmate) Adam Smith #123456
PO Box 9195
Seminole, FL 33775-9137
Waybourn said that friends and family members can subscribe to the MailGuard Tracker and sign up for a free account. Once an account has been created, users can search for prisoners, inmates, or detainees and add them as contacts to get the correct address for tracking information. The company's website provides step-by-step instructions for sending mail.
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The owner and CEO of Smart Communications, Jon Logan, told NBC 5 Friday afternoon that the process is very fast. Inmates can receive their mail within 24 hours of it being received, and it can often be received in just hours. The company has its own ZIP code, allowing it to receive mail faster.
After the mail is scanned and processed, it is time-stamped and placed in a 30-day quarantine. After the quarantine expires, a private company shreds the content. Once inmates are released, they can download their mail through the MailGuard system if they wish to keep it.
If anyone sends any mail to the Tarrant County Jail, it will be returned to the sender's address, stamped with instructions for using the MailGuard platform.
LEGAL MAIL, PUBLICATIONS, BANK STATEMENTS UNCHANGED
The Tarrant County Sheriff's Office added that all legal mail, such as court documents, bank statements, and publications, must continue to be sent to the facility directly at the address below.
Tarrant County Jail
100 North Lamar
Fort Worth, Texas 76196
